Telcos seen investing in smaller cellsites

MANILA, Philippines - Network providers in the country are expected to invest in small cell deployments in the long term in order to provide better service and keep their customers, executives of network technology provider Alcatel-Lucent said.

In a briefing last Friday, Michael Higgins, wireless competence center leader for the Asia Pacific region at Alcatel-Lucent, said network providers in the Philippines, just like those in other parts of the world, are expected to deploy small cells to provide better communication services and connectivity to consumers given increasing data traffic.

“I don’t think an operator has any choice in the world to continue on without it (small cell) so I think operators here in the Philippines that are going to serve a lot of people, they need to be more localized... You will see this technology in the Philippines,” he said.

He said that given increasing data traffic, the capacity of macro cells is becoming limited, affecting the communication services and connectivity of consumers.

Geoffrey Mark Webb, president and managing director of Alcatel-Lucent Philippines, said in the same event that given the rising data traffic as well as the increase in high-rise buildings in the country, the network coverage provided by macro cells or cell site towers is becoming limited, with some consumers, for instance having to go outside the building in order to take or make a call.

He said that while putting up another macro cell site to serve a particular area can improve the communication and connection services for consumers, it will be costlier, hence, network providers are seen to get into small cell deployments.

“Small cell works to extend the 2G (second generation of mobile communications) or 3G (third generation) of services, providing multiple access,” he said.

Higgins said that as network providers would want to make sure they keep revenues from services provided to consumers, they are likely to get into small cell deployments which will provide the service customers want at a cost-efficient and easier way.

He said 70 percent of subscribers switch providers because of poor services.

“What providers want to do is they want people to be on the their network, so yes of course, the small cell makes sense,” he said.

In the same event, Alcatel-Lucent launched the Wi-Fi upgrade to its lightRadio solution, allowing consumers to easily access the Internet whether on smartphones, tablets or laptops through strong Wi-FI connections in homes or hot spots.

The lightRadio which was introduced last year, de-clutters the traditional bulky cellular architecture into a miniature cube.

The upgrade allows the offloading of data traffic from the 3G or 4G (fourth generation) network to the strong and secure 3G or 4G Wi-Fi connections in homes and hot spot locations.

“We are integrating Wi-Fi in our lightRadio femto and metrocells, providing the ability to cost effectively add network capacity where needed. It simplifies operations for overloaded 3G or 4G macro networks and allow operators to offer a simple, secure and seamless cellular and Wi-Fi experience,” Higgins said.